Automatic car-lock for mine-cages.



J. H. ALPENEELS & H. A. WILLIAMS. AUTOMATIC GAR LOOK FOR MINE GAGES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1910.

Patented July 19,1910.

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J. H. ALPENFELS & H. A. WILLIAMS. AUTOMATIC GAR LOCK TOR MINE GAGES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1910.

964 7331 1 Patented July 19, 1910.

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WITNESSES; z E/VTORJ .A M /ams -09. C i ,4/pe/7i/6,

ATTORNEY.

1m: NORRIS PETERS co., wAsl-liucfolv, n. C

JULIUS H. ALPENFELS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, AND HARRY A. WILLIAMS, OF

DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-LOCK FOR MINE-CAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Application filed April 15, 1910. Serial No. 555,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIUS H. ALPEN- runs and HARRY A. lViLLnmrs, citizens of the United States of America, residents, respectively, of Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, and of Deadwood, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Locks for Mine-Cages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mining-cages and its object resides in the provision of a simple device whereby a car supported upon the floor of a cage is automatically locked in place while the said cage is in motion.

WVe attain this object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated and in which- Figure 1, represents a sectional view of a mine-shaft and a therewith communicating level, with the cage opposite the latter. Fig. 2, a similar fragmentary view showing a car locked in place on the floor of the cage after the landing-chairs on which it was supported, have been withdrawn. Fig. 3, a section taken along the line 3-8 Fig. 1, the car being omitted. Fig. 4, an enlarged transverse section through the platform of the cage taken along the line 4l-a Fig. 3, and Fig. 5, gn enlarged section taken along the line 5-5 Referring to the drawings by numerical reference characters the numeral 5 indicates a mine-shaft and 6 a therewith communicating level.

The cage 7 which is vertically movable in the shaft is, as usual, composed of a platform 8 secured at the lower portion of a frame 9, which is suspended from the cable wound around the drum of the hoist at the mouth of the shaft.

The landing chairs applied below the floors of the levels or other stations in the shaft, are, as shown in the drawings composed of two sets of rocker arms 10 whose upper extremities are connected by transverse bars 12 and which by means of rods 18 and 14 are associated with an operating lever 15, through the instrumentalit-y of which they are projected into the shaft to support the cage during the process of loading or unloading.

l l l l l he platform 8 of the cage carries a pair of rails which are constructed to connect with the tracks on the floors of the various levels or the surface of the ground over which the ore-cars are propelled toward and from the shaft.

The rails 16 of my improved construction are each divided into two end sections 17 which are fixedly secured upon the platform and an intermediate section 18 which is vertically movable in a correspondingly shaped slot in the floor thereof.

The section 18 is securely mounted upon a beam 19 which extends beneath the bottomsurface of the platform and which is guided during its vertical movement, in two channels 20 which are secured to the sides thereof.

Parallel sills 21 secured below the platform, extend loosely through correspondingly shaped vertical slots in the beam 19 and these sills are formed in their upper edges with grooves 22 which are adapted to receive the rail sections 18 and limit their downward movement.

\Vhen the mine-cage is held against downward movement upon a suitable support as, for example, the landing chairs shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the movable sections 18 of the rails 16 are by reason of the engagement of the beams 19 with said support, maintained on a level with the fixed end sections and the mine cars may be moved along the same as if the said rails were composed of one continuous piece. The moment, however, that the chairs or other supports are withdrawn from beneath the cage, the movable rail sections, impelled by gravity, will move downwardly through the slots in the platform until they engage the ends of the grooves in the sills 21, and the car supported on the said sections will follow until the treads of its wheels engage the adjacent ends of the fixed sections 17, as shown in Fig. 2, it being understood that the length of the movable rail-sections exceeds the distance between the centers of the car-wheels. By thus providing a means to automatically block the car during the up or downward movement of the cage on which it is supported, we avoid the use of hooks or other fastening devices, the adjustment of which requires time and labor, and is often times neglected. The use of our invention will, in consequence, positively avert accidents due to cars moving off the platform while the cage is in motion and it will save the time and labor at present expended in the adjustment of the car and the application of the fastening devices hitherto employed.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mine cage, of a trackrail disposed upon its floor and comprising fixed end-sections and a movable intermediate section normally supported below the upper surface thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mine-cage of a track-rail disposed upon its floor and comprising fixed and vertically movable sections.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a mine-cage, of a trackrail disposed upon its fioor and comprising fixed end-sections and an intermediate section having a limited vertical movement through a slot in the said floor.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a minecage, of a trackrail disposed upon its floor and comprising fixed end-sections, an intermediate section movable through a slot in the said fioor, a

beam vertically movably extending below the said floor and supporting said intermediate section, and means for limiting the movement of the said beam.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mine-cage, of rails disposed on its floor and comprising fixed endsections and intermediate sections movable through slots in said floor, beams extending below the floor and supporting said intermediate sections, and sills secured to the cage and loosely extending through slots in said beams, the said sills having in their upper edges, grooves to receive said movable sections and to limit the downward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS H. ALPENFELS. HARRY A. WILLIAMS.

lNitnesses for Alpenfels: G. J. ROLLANDET, M. L. GEARY.

lVitnesses for \Villiams:

JAMEs L. CURRAN, IV. CURRAN. 

